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life of hon. phineas t. barnum-第40章

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ement last night; however; was the actual singing of a Tarentella by Rossinia kind of movement which we have hitherto heard only from instrumentsa whirling; spinning; delirious; top…like movement in which the singer seems galvanized and tyrannized by one too happy and all…mastering idea in spite of himself。 The audience too; in spite of themselves; were sucked into its whirling ecstacy; and it was imperatively encored。 In Mozart's Non piu Andrai the chaster prototype of Rossini's Largo al factotum; his vocalization was elastic; spirited and elegant; but the effect of such a piece was necessarily lost upon the outer circles of so vast an auditory。

〃For other variety there was a brilliant show duett on themes from La Somnambula for piano and violin by Messrs。 Benedict and Noll; and a solo on the pianoforte by that most promising young artist; Hoffman。 For this he chose De Meyer's fantasy on Semiramide; decidedly of the modern monster school of pianoforte composition; though quite a vigorous; graceful and redeeming specimen thereof。

〃And now for the 'Queen of Song'or; if so qualifying it will better suit the Italians; the NORTHERN Queen of Song。

〃She commenced with one of the most tender and graceful; and hereabouts least hackneyed airs of Bellinithe Qui la Voce from I Puritani。 Her liquid purity of voice and graceful gliding through its flowery labyrinthine passages was to us not more remarkable than the true but quiet fervor which animated it。 Jenny Lind shows no feeling! and excites none! draws no tears! True Art supplies the place of tears by touching the emotions which are deeper and serener; and not a whit less human。 But of this more fully when we have room。

〃The splendid song from Mozart's 'Magic Flute;' Non Paventar; brought into play the salient diamonds of her highest voice; which arches like the tall shaft of a fountain sparkling in the sun。 The introduction; a bold; exhorting strain; in grandiose style; full of large intervals; was given with a glorious fervor; and no lark ever carolled more blithely or more at ease than her voice as it soared to F in alt! Benedict's English ballad; 'Take this Lute;' she sang with a simplicity and pathos that won the audience completely; and no part seemed more genuine or more expressive than the difficult cadenza at its close。

〃The romanza from Robert le Diable was perhaps the most fascinating of her more studied performances。 This; like all her brilliant things; if not impassioned in the cheaper superficial sense; was at all events vital; and from the soul。 She is never mechanical; whatever you may say about want of passion。 Is any tragic pathos; such as is ready on the smallest occasion; or on none; more admirable and more inspiring; more from the inmost soul; than is that gushing up of a full; glad; true heart which is her native mood of song; and which was so glorious last night in the Ah! non Giunge from Somnambula? The rapturous encore to this was answered by the Swedish 'Herdsman's Song。'

〃It was in the song from Mozart's 'Magic Flute' that we first fully KNEW the voice and art and soul of Jenny Lind。 She warmed to that music。 It is narrow criticism which imprisons such a singer within the partial scope; albeit classical; of the Italian School; ignores that vital part of her which may exceed the conventional requirements of such a School; and condemns whatever in her is most characteristic; and in contrast with its models。 It has been well said by those who make the most intelligent reference to those models and that school; that the style of the Swedish Nightingale is sui generis; as marked as her own personality。 True; you would not say of her; in the conventional Italian sense of the word; what is often said in first acknowledgment of a good singer: 'She has STYLE'meaning the one style which is assumed as the standard。 If we are to limit style to that sense; Mdlle。 Lind has more than style; she has geniusNorthern genius; to be sure; which is precisely what she should have to make her greatness genuine。 Song is original in her; and from her singing we drink in new life; after long satiety of such passion…sweets as have become habits rather than fresh inspirations in the delightfulwe may almost say perfectedbut yet confined music of the Italians。

〃It is; perhaps; too late to await the advent of a Queen of Song from the warm South。 The South has had its turn; it has fulfilled its mission; the other end of the balance now comes up。 The Northern Muse must sing her lesson to the world。 Her fresher; chaster; more intellectual; and (as they only SEEM to some) her colder strains come in due season to recover our souls from the delicious languor of a Music which has been so wholly of the Feelings; that; for the want of some intellectual tonic and some spiritual temper; Feeling has degenerated into mere Sensibility and a very cheap kind of superficial; skin…deep excitability that usurps the name of Passion。

〃We admire and feel and love the Melody of Italy。 We reverence her native gift of song; her popular sensibility to it。 We have been again and again transported by her best vocal artists who have visited these shores; and they are not THE bestthe world…wide celebrities; we have to confess; are only traditions to ustraditions; however; to which we yield ourselves in full faith。 From what we HAVE heard and experienced of Italian singing; we know; as well as if we had heard Grisi; Pasta and Rubini; that it is not IN the genius of the Italian School to produce or hardly to appreciate such a new revelation of song as this human nightingale or canary of Sweden。

〃Is this underrating the Italian music? By no means。 That is an established fact; and has its characteristic worth。 Equally so; but in a contrasted way has the music of the North; which; till this Nightingale appeared; had found its utterance mainly through instruments and orchestras。 Now it finds worthy utterance in song。 But of its peculiar characteristic we must take another time to speak。〃



CHAPTER XVIII。 CONTINUED TRIUMPH。

SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISINGTHE RESPONSIBILITIES OF RICHESVISIT TO IRANISTANOVATIONS AT BOSTON; PHILADELPHIA; BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTONVISIT TO MT。 VERNONCHARLESTONHAVANAFREDERICKA BREMER。 

All of Barnum's inventive powers were called into play effectually to advertise his song…bird。 Biographies of Jenny Lind were circulated。 〃Foreign correspondence〃 raved over her talents; narratives of her benevolence filled the papers; her pictures and her name were seen everywhere。 So when she made her first appearance; it was before an audience already wrought up to a high pitch of enthusiasm in her behalf。 Never before; or after for that matter; was any singer so lauded by the press。 The following editorial from the New York Herald of September 10th; 1850; is a fair sample:

〃What ancient monarch was he; either in history or in fable; who offered half his kingdom (the price of box…tickets and choice seats in those days) for the invention of an original sensation; or the discovery of a fresh pleasure? That sensationthat pleasure which royal power in the Old World failed to discoverhas been called into existence at a less price; by Mr。 Barnum; a plain republican; and is now about to be enjo
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